Chess Princess: Seshni Govindsamy

Chatsworth chess whizz wants to test her talents in Spain
Suthentira Govender
Published:Jun 15, 2008

A Chatsworth teenager is brushing up on her chess moves to represent South Africa at a prestigious international tournament in Spain.

Kharwastan Secondary pupil Seshni Govindasamy is one of four girls selected by Chess South Africa and the South African Women’s Chess Association to participate in the St. Augustine chess tournament later this year.

Govindasamy, the only KwaZulu-Natal representative, told the Sunday Times Extra she was “honoured and excited” about being selected.

The Grade 10 pupil, who is a member of the Durban Chess Club, became hooked on the game after being introduced to it by her father. “My dad bought my brother and I a chess set as a Christmas gift and taught us a few moves. I didn’t find it a difficult game to grasp and eventually developed my own strategies,” she said.

Since her introduction to the game, the shy 15-year-old has played the competitive chess circuit and has won a number of interschool tournaments.

“I play tournaments every Saturday. I love the challenge of the game and it also allows me to develop my problem- solving skills, which I use in all aspects of my life. It also allows me to make friends and to socialise,” she said.

Govindasamy was selected to represent South Africa in Spain after her impressive performance in the national chess tournament in Bloemfontein last year. She won the majority of the nine rounds she played.

“I am really excited about Spain. I haven’t been there before and it will be a new experience. I have been to Greece for the World Chess Games in April last year. I won five out of the nine games I played there,” she said.

While Govindasamy prepares for her tournament, her parents are hard at work trying to raise R14000 before the end of June to fulfil their daughter’s dream.

Team manager Jacqueline Fritz said in a letter that Govindasamy’s achievement was a “remarkable” one.

Fritz said chess was not a “major sport code in South Africa” and that Chess South Africa relied on businesses to provide financial help to champions to compete at this level.

“It would be unfortunate if these exceptionally talented, hard-working junior chess champions were to be denied this opportunity due to a lack of finance.”

Fritz said experience has shown “that many of the most productive professionals in the world first proved themselves as champions on the competitive chess circuit.”